off-center steering wheel?

My steering wheel is not centered on the gauges, it looks like its slightly angles in towards the center of the cabin. Anyone else have a setup like this?

get the alignment checked.

You mean like when going straigt the wheel is turned slightly?

Or do you mean that the steering wheel is actually physically directed at the center of the car if you draw a line normal to the wheel?

I notice that my wheel isn't directly in the center of the driver's seat (but very close), but it comes straight out from the dash, it doesn't point in one direction or the other.

I mean that the entire steering column points slightly inward, or towards the passenger if you will. To view the gauge panel perfectly, I have to lean inwards slightly.

ok, that's a little odd...

when i had new tires installed a while back, i had them do an alignment.

when i got the car back, i noticed that my steering wheel was a little to one side (can't remember which way, doesn't matter).

i decided it wasn't worth having them "fix" it as the car couldn't care less if the steering wheel is off center.

later on down the road when i replaced the tires again and had the alignment redone, the problem was fixed.

SO, i'm wondering, have you done anything to your alignment lately?

If I have this right, if you made a line straight across the steering wheel, it would not be square with the centerline of the car, not an alignment issue.

whitedog, you are correct.
Anyone know how to fix this?

whitedog, if both tie rods are adjusted an equal amount in the same direction, wouldn't this result in a cocked steering wheel?

gothmolly, i'm only saying this because i believe this happened to me in the past (pre alignment, steering wheel ok, post alignment, steering off).

(i'm by no means an aligment or crooked steering wheel expert)

TDIRyan said:

get the alignment checked.

Click to expand...

Angled does not have anything to do with the spoke orientation.

Any yes, they do angle just slightly.

madrean said:

whitedog, if both tie rods are adjusted an equal amount in the same direction, wouldn't this result in a cocked steering wheel?

gothmolly, i'm only saying this because i believe this happened to me in the past (pre alignment, steering wheel ok, post alignment, steering off).

(i'm by no means an aligment or crooked steering wheel expert)

Click to expand...

That is exactly the issue. These morons don't know how to do an alignment. The left tie rod NEVER gets adjusted. You do the toe setting from the right tie rod.

jasonTDI said:

That is exactly the issue. These morons don't know how to do an alignment. The left tie rod NEVER gets adjusted. You do the toe setting from the right tie rod.

Click to expand...

yes, this is what i have read recently (that you should only adjust the right side). i have a feeling that the first time the alignment was done on my car (at sears) they were doing trial and error with BOTH sides and i ended up with a crooked steering wheel.

no big deal, just looks kinda funny.

madrean said:

whitedog, if both tie rods are adjusted an equal amount in the same direction, wouldn't this result in a cocked steering wheel?

gothmolly, i'm only saying this because i believe this happened to me in the past (pre alignment, steering wheel ok, post alignment, steering off).

(i'm by no means an aligment or crooked steering wheel expert)

Click to expand...

But this has nothing to do with gothmollys situation.

Another way to put it is that steering column, as you follow it forward, is not inline with the centerline of the car.

ah icic